FIRST SERVE

• Washburn hosts its home opener on Feb. 21 against William Jewell.
• The match is set for 1 p.m. at the Genesis Tennis Center in Topeka, Kan.
• The last time the two teams played each other was April 2, 2019, when the Ichabods swept the Cardinals, 7-0.

 
LAST TIME OUT

• Washburn is coming off a 5-2 loss to DI opponent Omaha on Feb. 13.
• The doubles point went to Omaha but the duo of Paul Haase and newcomer Daniel Bird defeated their opponents, 5-2.
• One of the two Ichabods points went to Paul Haase, as he defeated his opponent with scores of 7-5 and 7-5. The other one went to Bradley Eidenmueller as scores of 6-4, 2-6, and 6-1 lead him to a victory over his opponent.

 
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS

• The William Jewell Cardinals are 3-2 this season, after a 4-3 win over Baker on Feb. 12. The team faces Northwest Missouri on Saturday prior to Sunday's matchup with the Ichabods.
• The Cardinals return four from last year's roster, including Pedro Braga, Jack Ledbetter, Cutter Sanders and Max Wheeler. Three newcomers join the squad for the 2020-21 season - Evan Acuff, Cory Conley and Nick Shields.
• Ledbetter and Sanders were both named to the ITA All-Academic team after the 2019-20 season.
• Braga leads the Cardinals with a 4-2 singles record this season, mostly playing from the No. 2 spot. The duo of Braga and Sanders combine for a 3-3 overall doubles record, playing from the top spot in the lineup.

 
CHECKING IN WITH THE BODS

• The Ichabods return seven from last year's roster, while welcoming in two newcomers.
• Washburn had two regionally-ranked student-athletes in the final 2020 ITA rankings - Raul-Alin Dicu and Paul Haase - are among the returners and will be key performers for the Ichabods this season.
• Dicu ended the 2020 season with an 8-5 singles record and a 7-3 doubles record with partner Bradley Eidenmueller. Haase held a 7-4 record in singles and 6-2 record in doubles.
• Juniors Eidenmueller, Luke Howard, and Marc Roura Casi, sophomore Miller Zeiders and freshman Miquel Perez also rejoin the team this season.
• Two newcomers - Daniel Bird and Sebastian Pjontek - also join the team this spring season. Bird is a transfer from East Carolina University after its tennis programs were permanently cut. He had a 3-5 record in singles and 2-1 doubles record in his freshman season for the Pirates. Pjontek will join the team as a true freshman.

 
ICHABODS IN THE RANKINGS

• Individually, two Ichabods were listed in the top-20 of the Central Region singles rankings, which was last updated April 15, 2020. Raul-Alin Dicu was ranked at No. 16, while Paul Haase checked in at No. 19.
• The Ichabods were picked second in the north division in the MIAA/GAC Preseason Coaches Poll, released on February 5, 2021. The team gathered three-first place votes and 26 points total.
• Updated ITA national team rankings were released on Feb. 2.

 
HEAD COACH KIRBY RONNING

• Kirby Ronning is in his first season as the Washburn head tennis coach for the Ichabods men's and women's programs after being named to the position on July 23, 2020. Prior to Washburn, Ronning spent four seasons as the assistant coach at Azusa Pacific, where he helped lead the Cougars to multiple NCAA postseason appearances and earned himself both ITA West Region's Men's Tennis Assistant Coach of the Year and Women's Tennis Assistant Coach of the Year. 
• He earned his bachelor's degree in business from Bethel University (Minn) in 2014 and his master's in physical education from Azusa Pacific in May 2020.
• Ronning also played at Bethel for four years, playing primarily at No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles position.

 
TAKE A LOOK AHEAD

• The Ichabods hit the road to face Southeastern Oklahoma State on Feb. 27. The match will start at 2 p.m. at LaFortune Park in Tulsa, Okla.
• The team will then return home on March 5 to host Barton County Community College at 1 p.m.
• Washburn later begins conference play on March 27, hosting Newman at 1 p.m.